Fujio Akatsuka emerges as one of the young manga artists inhabiting Tokyo's Tokiwa-so apartment complex in the late 1950s. Born in Manchuria, he moved to Japan after World War II, arriving in Tokyo at nineteen. While employed at a chemical factory, he pursued manga creation, eventually securing a place at Tokiwa-so. Initially drawing shōjo manga, he shifted decisively toward gag manga following the 1958 success of his series "Nama-chan," marking a critical turning point.

The account details his persistent financial hardship and repeated rejections from editors. In a pivotal sequence, a fever-induced hallucination brings his own characters, Nyarome and Beshi, to life from his manuscripts, offering encouragement during professional despair and demonstrating his creative resilience. His evolving gag creations frequently appear in background scenes, such as the "Osomatsu-kun" sextuplets playing battledore outside Tokiwa-so or the Police Officer with Connected Eyes from "Tensai Bakabon" directing him to the apartment.

His life within Tokiwa-so highlights shared struggles, including editorial conflicts and collaborative moments with fellow artists like Shotaro Ishinomori and the Fujiko Fujio duo. A central storyline traces his arduous battle to secure serialization, culminating in a hard-won breakthrough where sheer persistence finally yields successful publication. The narrative concludes symbolically as Akatsuka and his peers stand joined by their respective characters, signifying their arrival as established manga artists.